Monday, October 05, 2015
The MinitModel Builder Greg Jein
Tested: Back in the early eighties, a number of magazines dedicated to special effects brought the work of artists into the spotlight. Publications like Cinefex and Cinefantastique helped a number of effects mavens became stars in their own right, like Rick Baker, Dick Smith, and Tom Savini, to name a few. But it wasn't just make-up artists that became well known among film geeks. Greg Jein became a legend in the model building world, thanks to his work on Close Encounters, 1941, The Hunt For Red October, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and more.
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I knew that star wars and other Spielberg movies had been pioneers of practical effects and miniature model building, but I hadn’t known that it was essentially one person who was responsible for the actual construction of so many iconic models spanning so many movies and directors. The thing I found most compelling about this story was the part where he said “All the little details were added on because no body stopped me!” As is so often the case in work that is universally agreed on being ground breaking and spectacular, no one planned for it to be, it was the drive of one person or a small group of people thinking in tandem that is responsible for real innovation. Those people or groups are very often unrecognized, but most people know that comes with any professional work. I think the real problem is that we cant or don’t plan on the skill and drive of these people. When planning projects in the real world, its so much harder to say “well, we’ll just do it, and do it better than anyone has seen before.” While it isn’t quantifiable when that will be reliable, I think we would be in a better place than not if we gambled more often.
I think model building is something people often forget about, especially when thinking about movie and TV productions. But the beauty of models is not only that they allow a lot of artistic freedom for the builder, but that they create tiny details of a world that may be forgotten when pursuing the bigger picture. In the Harry Potter movies, for example, they built an accurate scale model of Hogwarts castle- yet due to the ever-changing nature of the layout of the castle, the makers had to cut and move pieces around to be used in shots. And it also served as a physical playspace for the creators of the movies. In the article he talked about the possibility of the need for model makers dying out- but the skills used for model making and the artistry involved will always be needed. Not only are models valuable as a prop for filming, but their usefulness as a thinking space (or as a display in a museum) will always be clear.
The guys that built models as intrinsically detailed as they did, had a knack for looking at the smallest of things, to know what the vision was in store for the project ahead. Being able to take a concept design and create a masterpiece for some of the iconic films of the past, helped them become that way. If I was as talented as they were with the amount of time and detail that goes into each project, I might miss a few things. Partially because I’m not used to the notion of having a camera be close up on the project, and with that being the case, you can’t get away with a sloppy job. If you did, you wouldn’t be in the industry you are. Since everyone knows everyone else, those connections become a stepping stone. Jein started out small and made his way big through hard work and dedication; that could be anybody in any position.
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